Packaging system for transporting temperature-sensitive products

ABSTRACT

A packaging system for shipping a temperature-sensitive product is provided. The packaging system includes a thermally-insulated transport container providing a housing for the temperature-sensitive product and separate temperature-controlling packs and a separate rack for placement within the transport container for arranging the temperature-controlling packs. Each of the transport container and the rack has walls that are fully removable and able to be independently re-assembled during loading of the packaging system with the temperature-sensitive product and temperature-controlling packs.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 63/043,438, filed Jun. 24, 2020.

BACKGROUND

In the transport of temperature-sensitive products, thermally-insulatedpackaging, transport, or shipping containers may be used to provide asealed housing during transport for forming a space for thetemperature-sensitive products and for gel packs or liketemperature-controlling material or apparatus.

Examples of thermally-sensitive products may include medical products,biologics, biological materials or samples, blood, blood plasma, organsintended for transplantation, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, injectablemedications, chemicals, food, and other temperature-sensitive articles.The term “biological material” as used herein is intended to include butnot to be limited to blood and blood products including any type ofhuman or animal blood, cells including stem cells, bone marrow, donororgans, tissue products and samples, plasma concentrates, reagents(including standards and controls) used to assay biological functions,specimens and the like, and any other biological products (includingpharmaceuticals) that must be kept within predetermined temperatureranges during transport.

Gel packs or other containers or the like are typically filled withwater, phase change material (PCM) or other fluids and may beconditioned (frozen, cooled, heated) to a pre-determined temperature andstabilized at the pre-determined temperature before use. A phase changematerial (PCM) is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, meltingand solidifying at a certain temperature, is capable of storing andreleasing large amounts of energy.

Transport boxes, in particular, relatively large-capacity transportboxes that may stacked on shipment pallets or the like, are oftenrelatively difficult to load, particularly a single worker. It can bedifficult to properly secure and arrange the temperature-sensitiveproducts and the PCM, gel packs, or the like in a proper arrangementwithin the box, which is critical for proper and safe shipment of thetemperature-sensitive products. It can also be time-consuming toproperly load such a transport box which thereby undesirably exposes theconditioned. PCM gel packs and temperature-sensitive products to ambientconditions for potentially extended-periods of time needed to properlyload the transport box before it may be sealed closed.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment, a packaging system for shipping atemperature-sensitive product is provided. The packaging system includesa thermally-insulated transport container providing a housing for thetemperature-sensitive product and separate temperature-controlling packsand a separate rack for placement within the transport container forarranging the temperature-controlling packs. Each of the transportcontainer and the rack has walls that are fully removable and able to beindependently re-assembled during loading of the packaging system withthe to product and temperature-controlling packs to enable ready loadingof the packaging system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the embodiments described in the following detaileddescription can be more fully appreciated when considered with referenceto the accompanying figures, wherein the same numbers refer to the sameelements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an empty transport container inaccordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transport container of FIG. 1 withthe front wall in a partially disassembled pivoted position inaccordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front wall in an entirelydisconnected position in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a photographic image of the bottom front of the transportcontainer with front wall removed in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a photographic image of the bottom front of the transportcontainer with front wall in an installed position in accordance to anembodiment.

FIGS. 6-8 are partially exploded perspective views of the top wall ofthe transport container with front wall removed in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the top wall of the transport containerwith front wall removed in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a photographic image of a front part of the top wall of thetransport container with front will removed in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a side wall of the transport containerwith front wall removed in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an upper part of the transportcontainer with the side wall and the front wall removed in accordance toan embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a lower part of the transport containerwith the side wall and the front wall removed in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a part of a profile component of thetransport container used for holding wall panels, such as vacuuminsulated panels, of the transport container in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 15 is a perspective vie of the profile component of FIG. 14 withvacuum insulated panels extending therein in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 16 is a photographic image of the profile component of FIG. 14 withvacuum insulated panels extending therein in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the connection of the profilecomponents at a corner of the transport container in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a PCM rack for placement within thetransport container of FIG. 1 in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing an interconnection between sidewalls of the PCM rack of FIG. 18 in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a bottom edge of the side walls ofthe PCM rack of FIG. 18 in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a photographic image of a front wall of the PCM rack beforeassembly to the other walls the PCM rack already positioned within thetransport container in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a photographic image of a rear wall of the PCM rack as it isbeing installed and positioned against a rear wall of the transportcontainer in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a photographic image of a rear wall of the PCM rack fullyinstalled and positioned within the transport container in accordance toan embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a portion of a two-piece floor PCM rackof the transport container in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the transport container with front wallremoved and with the upper part of the floor PCM rack removed inaccordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a photos rapt is image of the transport container with frontwall removed and with the upper part of the floor PCM rack removed inaccordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a photographic image of the transport container with frontwall removed and with the upper part of the floor PCM rack beinginstalled within the transport container in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the transport container with front wallremoved and with a side wall of the PCM rack in an installed positionand the floor PCM rack in an installed position in accordance to anembodiment.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the transport container with front wallremoved, a side wall of the PCM rack removed, and the floor PCM rack inan installed position in accordance to an embodiment.

FIG. 30 is a photographic image of the transport container with frontwall removed and with a side wall of the PCM rack in an installedposition and the floor PCM rack in an installed position in accordanceto an embodiment.

FIG. 31 is a photographic image of the transport container with frontwall removed, a side wall of the PCM rack removed, and the floor PCMrack in an installed position in accordance to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of theembodiments are described by referring mainly to examples thereof. Inthe following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It ill beapp (rent however, to one of ordinary skill in the art, that theembodiments may he practiced without limitation to these specificdetails. In some instances, well known methods and structures have notbeen described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure theembodiments.

According to an embodiment, a packaging system for transportingtemperature-sensitive product is provided and includes a transportcontainer, which forms an outer envelope of the packaging system, and arack, which can be housed within the transport container for assistingwith the loading and arrangement of PCM packs and thetemperature-sensitive products within the transport container. The wallsof the transport container may be formed by vacuum insulated panels andthe base of the transport container may in the form of a shippingpallet. Thus, while the packaging system may be of any dimensions andhave any designed capacity, some contemplated embodiments of thepackaging system can provide relatively large capacities. By way ofexample, and not by way of limitation, the packaging system may beconfigured to house a volume of temperature-sensitive products of atleast about 500 liters, such as within a range of about 500 to 600liters. Of course, the packaging system can be designed to provide othervolumes, including larger and smaller volumes.

FIG. 1 provides an embodiment of a transport container 10 in which arack 12 (best shown in FIG. 18) can be located and loaded with PCM packsand temperature-sensitive products. As will be discussed in greaterdetail below, FIGS. 1-17 show various features and characteristics ofthe transport container 10, and FIGS. 18-31 show various features andcharacteristics of the rack 12.

According to an embodiment, both the transport container 10 and the rack12 can be readily disassembled for storage or return shipment andreadily reassembled for re-use. In addition, the transport container 10and rack 12 can each be assembled efficiently during a process ofloading the PCM packs and temperature-sensitive products. Thus,according to embodiments, a single worker may be able to readilyassemble or re-assembly fully load, and seal the packaging system in aminimum amount of time despite the PCM packs and/ortemperature-sensitive products being provided in a relatively large,heavy, or bulky forms.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the transport container 10, when assembly, maybe provided in box-shaped form and include a front wall 14, a rear wall16, side walls 18 and 20, a top wall or lid 22, and a base 24 in theform of a shipping pallet able to be readily lifted or the like withforklift trucks or like machinery. In FIG. 1, the front rear and sidewalls, 14, 16, 18 and 20, are shown as being transparent for ease ofshowing the construction of the shipping container. These walls may beopaque instead of transparent and be constructed of vacuum insulatedpanels.

As best shown FIGS. 2-5, the front wall 14 may be connected in a sealedcondition to, and fully removed from, the lid 22 and base 24 of thetransport container 10. Thus, it is possible to load the transportcontainer 10 with the rack 12, PCM packs, and temperature-sensitiveproducts with the front wall 14 being fully removed from the transportcontainer 10. Thus, the transport container 10 may be loaded through theopen front. In addition, the front wall 14 is relatively lightweight andcan be readily handled and manipulated by a single worker.

The base 24 of transport container 10 may include an outturned supportledge 26 on which the front wall 14 may be supported. In addition,several separate hinge tabs 28 may project from the edge 30 of the ledge26 and include inward-turned lips 32. See FIGS. 3 and 4. The front wall14 may include a series of corresponding hinge slots 34 which can healigned with the hinge tabs 28. Thus, the front wall 14 can be supportedon the ledge 26 and pivoted relative to the hinge tabs 28 (as shown inFIG. 2) to a closed position (as shown in FIG. 1). When in the closedposition, the front wall may be secured to the lid 22 via one or moremechanical closures, clasps, fasteners or like device 36. Thisarrangement permits the front wall 14 to be closed against the remainderof the transport container 10 requiring only a minimum gap and producinga tighter seal. As an alternative, the hinge tabs may be provided on thefront wall and the hinge slots may be provided on the support ledge ofthe base.

The construction of the top wall or lid 22 is best shown in FIGS. 6-10,which each show the transport container 10 (with front wall 14completely removed) and a partially assembled rack positioned therein.According to an embodiment the lid 22 can include a pair of vacuuminsulated panels, 38 and 40, spaced apart by a layer of foam material42. The foam material may he made of polyurethane or like thermoplasticmaterial. The upper vacuum insulated panel 38 and layer of foam 42 maybe have portions cut away to provide pockets to receive the mechanicalfasteners 36 so that the fasteners may be completely inset into the lid22 to ensure that the mechanical fasteners 36 are flush with and do notproject above the otherwise substantially flat outer surface of the lid22 and thereby are better protected against damage during transport.

In addition, as best shown in FIGS. 8-10, a central front portion of thefoam layer 42 may lie cut away to form a so-called logger box or case(i.e., open compartment) 44 in the lid 22. When the front wall 14 issecured to the lid 22, the compartment 44 is sealed and cannot beaccessed during transit of the packaging system.

Thus, the compartment 44 can be d. to securely hold tracking devicessensors, documents, or the like for shipment with the packaging system.The size of the compartment 44 is readily variable in thatdifferent-shaped foam layers 42 can be inserted and/or replaced and usedfor different size and shape Logger types.

As best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the side walls, 18 and 20, of thetransport container 10 may be removed or installed when the front wall14 is removed and are locked in place when the front wall 14 is securedclosed to the lid 22 with the fasteners 36. As best shown in FIGS.11-15, profile components 46 may be located along the upper and loweredges of the transport container 10 and provide slots into which theside walls, 18 and 20, may be slid or plugged for purposes of removing,installing or retaining the side walls. Accordingly, if desired, whilethe transport container is being loaded with parts of the rack 12, PCMpacks, and the temperature-sensitive material, one or both of the sidewalls, 18 and 20, may be removed to enable ready access to the interiorof the transport container 10 and installed, as needed, as loadingproceeds. The profile components 46 may be made of polycarbonate or likethermoplastic material so that they are relatively lightweight, resistdamage, and are relatively easy to clean. FIG. 17 shows connecters 48which enable the profile components 46 to be secured together, forinstance, at an upper rear corner of the transport container 10.

Preferably, each of the walls of the transport container 10 are made ofvacuum insulated panels. By way of example, the outside layers of thewalls may be made of fiberglass or a plastic material having a thicknessof no greater than about 4 mm. This permits the walls to be relativelythin, lightweight, and compact yet provide high-performance thermalinsulation. Thus, the transport container 10 provides athermally-insulated box-shaped structure when assembled and sealedclosed.

Turning to a description of the rack 12, it can include a front wall 50,rear wall 52, and a pair of side walls 54 acid 56, as best shown in FIG.18. As stated above, the rack 12 will be positioned within the transportcontainer 10 and can be used to precisely position, retain, and hold PCMpacks relative to the temperature-sensitive products being shipped.Thus, each of the walls includes pockets or slots into which PCM packscan be loaded so that the temperature-sensitive product can be fullysurrounded by the PCM packs.

Each of the front, rear, and side walls, 50, 52, 54 and 56, of the rack12 can be readily separated and connected to enable ease ofindependently loading each of the walls with PCM packs and individuallyplacing each wall within the transport container 10. As best shown inFIG. 19, clips 58 or the like may be used to interconnect the front,rear, and side walls, 50, 52, 54 and 56, of the rack 12 when the wallsare slid of pushed together within the transport container 10. Inaddition, as best shown in FIG. 20, each of the walls of the rack 12 mayinclude a rail 60 for being properly position and supported on the base24 of the transport container 10.

As shown in FIG. 22, the rear all 52 of the rack 12 may first bepositioned against the inner surface of the rear wall 15 of thetransport container 10. The rail 60 of the rear wall 52 of the rack 12may be located in a corresponding groove or the like in the base 24 ofthe transport container 10 and then the rear wall 52 of the rack can bepivoted upward to a final upright position adjacent the rear wall 16 ofthe transport container 10. See FIG 23.

Magnets 62 may be fixed along opposite edges of the rear wall 16 of thetransport container 10 (see FIG. 22) for automatic hands-free holding ofthe rear wall 52 of the rack 12 in upright position within the transportcontainer 10. For example, although the rear wall 52 of the rack 12 maynot be magnetic (i.e., according to one contemplated embodiment, therack may be made of aluminum or other non-magnetic material), a steelbrick or other strip of a magnetic material 78 may be secured to therack 12 at locations corresponding to the magnets 62. See FIGS. 18 and23. As an alternative, the magnets and steel bricks can be reversed suchthat the magnets are secured to the racks and the steel bricks arelocated on the walls.

The rear wall 52 may be pre-loaded in advance with PCM packs in atemperature-controlled environment before being put into place in thetransport container 10, which will typically be assembly, stored, andloaded in ambient atmosphere conditions. This reduces the time requiredfor loading the transport container 10. Also, since the magnets 62should be able to hold the rear wall 52 in place in an upright conditionwithin the transport container 10, this should free the hands of theworker to perform other assembly and loading tasks.

As best shown in FIGS. 25 and 28-31, the base 24 of the transportcontainer 10 may include grooves 64 in which the rails 60 of the sidewalls, 54 and 56, of the rack 12 may be slid into position. When theside walls, 54 and 56, are fully slid into position, magnets 62 hold thewalls in an upright position and the clips 56 interconnect the sidewalls, 54 and 56, to the rear wall 52. Similar to the rear wall 52, theside walls may be pre-loaded with PCM packs to reduce assembly time ofthe packaging system.

As shown in FIG. 21, after the side walls, 54 and 56, of the rack 12 arepositioned within the transport container 10, and after thetemperature-sensitive product (not shown) is positioned within the spacedefined by the rack 12, the front wall 50 of the rack 12 can be placedinto position within the transport container 10 and clipped to the sidewalls 54 and 56 of the rack 12 before the front wall 14 of the transportcontainer 10 is connected and used to seal the transport container 10 ina closed, sealed condition. Similar to the rear wall 52, the front wall50 of the rack 12 may be pre-loaded with PCM packs to reduce assemblytime of the packaging system.

As best shown in FIGS. 24-31, a two-piece floor rack 66 for holdingadditional PCM can he located within the transport container 10 andsupported on the base 24 of the transport container 10 The low er part68 of the floor PCM rack 66 includes a series of openings into which PCMpacks (see PCM packs 70 in FIGS. 25 and 26) are positioned, loaded, andheld The upper part 72 of the floor PCM rack 66 is received on top ofthe lower part 68 and provides a support for the temperature-sensitiveproduct to be loaded into the transport container and shipped.Preferably, the lower and upper parts, 68 and 72, of the floor PCM rack66 include corresponding mating components that properly position andsecure the upper part 72 to the lower part 68 without permittingrelative lateral movement therebetween. For instance, see pegs 74 andapertures 76 as best shown in FIGS. 24 and 28.

While the principles of the invention have been described aboveregarding specific devices, apparatus, systems, and/or methods, it is tobe clearly understood that this description is made only by way ofexample and not as limitation. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that various modifications and changes can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims below.

1. A packaging system for shipping a temperature-sensitive product,comprising: a thermally-insulated transport container providing ahousing for the temperature-sensitive product and separatetemperature-controlling packs; and a separate rack for placement withinthe transport container for arranging the temperature-controlling packs;each of said transport container and said rack having walls that arefully removable and able to be independently re-assembled during loadingof the packaging system with the temperature-sensitive product.
 2. Thepackaging system according to claim 1, wherein said thermally-insulatedtransport container includes a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, a top wall, and a base, and wherein at least said front, rear,side, and top walls include vacuum insulated panels.
 3. The packagingsystem according to claim 2, wherein said front wall of said transportcontainer is fully removable from said transport container.
 4. Thepackaging system according to claim 3, wherein said base of saidtransport container includes a support ledge for supporting said frontwall of said transport container, and wherein said support ledgeincludes a series of upstanding hinge tabs and a lower portion of saidfront wall includes a series of corresponding hinge slots enabling apivoting connection of said front wall relative to said base when saidfront wall is positioned on said support ledge.
 5. The packaging systemaccording to claim 3, wherein said top wall of the transport containerincludes at least one mechanical fastener for securing said front wallthereto to seal and close said transport container.
 6. The packagingsystem according to claim 5, wherein said top wall of said transportcontainer includes a pair of vacuum insulated panels separated by a foamlayer, and wherein said at least one mechanical fastener is inset withinsaid top wall and does not project above a substantially flat outersurface of said top wall.
 7. The packaging system according to claim 6,wherein a logger compartment is formed in said foam layer between saidpair of vacuum insulted panels of said top wall of said transportcontainer, and wherein said logger compartment is sealed closed whensaid front wall of said transport container is secured to said top wall.8. The packaging system according to claim 5, wherein said transportcontainer includes profile components defining slots into which saidside walls can be slid into position or entirely removed.
 9. Thepackaging system according to claim 8, wherein, when said side walls ofsaid transport container are fully slid into and retained in position bysaid profile components and when said front wall is secured to said topwall, said front wall locks said side walls in position on saidtransport container.
 10. The packaging system according to claim 2,wherein said base of said transport container is in the form of ashipping pallet.
 11. The packaging system according to claim 10, whereina volume of shipping capacity provided by the packaging system is atleast about 500 liters.
 12. The packaging system according to claim 2,wherein said rack includes a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of sidewalls, and wherein each of said front, rear, and side walls of said rackis separately removable from the other walls of said rack and defineareas for retaining a set of the temperature-controlling packs.
 13. Thepackaging system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of saidrack and said transport container has magnets for separately retainingsaid rear and side walls in upright positions relative to said rear andside walls of said transport container.
 14. The packaging systemaccording to claim 13, wherein said rack includes clips forautomatically securing confronting free edges of said walls of said racktogether when placed in position within said transport container. 15.The packaging system according to claim 13, wherein each of said front,rear, and side walls of said rack has a rail on a lower edge thereof,and wherein said base of said transport container includes grooves forreceiving said rails to properly position said rack within saidtransport container.
 16. The packaging system according to claim 15,wherein said rack includes a floor rack for placement on said base ofsaid transport container for defining areas for retaining a set of thetemperature-controlling packs.
 17. The packaging system according toclaim 16, wherein said floor rack includes a lower floor rack fordefining areas for retaining a set of the temperature-controlling packsadjacent said base of said transport container and a separate upperfloor rack stackable on said lower floor rack for providing a supportsurface for the temperature-sensitive product within said housing. 18.The packaging system according to claim 17, wherein said upper and lowerfloor racks have cooperatively-mating confronting surfaces that preventrelative lateral movement thereof when stacked together.
 19. Thepackaging system according to claim 1, wherein thetemperature-controlling packs for being loaded on said rack are packsfilled with a phase change material (PCM).